New Jersey Acting Attorney General Paula Dow visits Bridgeton

Staff Photo by Bryan LittelActing state attorney general Paula Dow, center, shakes hands with Bridgeton attorney Demetrica Todd-Hunter as Cumberland County prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae escorts Dow through the crowd at the Marino Center Friday.BRIDGETON — Acting New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow visited Cumberland County on Friday and had some words of advice for recently-appointed Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae.

“It is not easy to be a prosecutor. It is often a lonely journey. It tests character,” said Dow, a former Essex County prosecutor. “It requires inner-strength and self-confidence. It requires personal integrity and a social moral compass. It requires humility and willingness, where appropriate, to recognize mistakes and take appropriate steps to correct them. Prosecutors must be passionate about the issues, but compassionate in their approach to them and always be guided by fairness and a common sense.”

Dow, who attributed her advice to a quote she said she had read somewhere, was a featured guest at a meet-and-greet Friday afternoon at the Marino Ballroom in Bridgeton.

The event served the dual purpose of allowing Dow to meet with various Cumberland County officials and leaders, but also celebrating Webb-McRae’s appointment as prosecutor.

After brief words by Dow, Webb-McRae stepped up to the podium and introduced her top officials and staff, including Vineland attorney Harold Shapiro, her first assistant prosecutor, and retired state police lieutenant William Johnson, her chief of investigators.

Webb-McRae said she was honored to have the attorney general in attendance.

Also in attendance were members of the Cumberland County freeholder board, representatives of local law enforcement, attorneys and community leaders.